The New York State Public High School Athletic Association has hosted a wrestling state championship since 1963 and while there have been girls able to qualify for the competition there had not been an event specifically for them.
Over the past few years, the sport of girls wrestling has rapidly grown and now nearly every state has a separate tournament for its female athletes. Even the past couple of seasons New York has put on an invitational event for the state’s top wrestlers, but it wasn’t until this season that the NYSPHSAA put on a championship event at the same level as the males.
That does not happen without many people pushing for and working hard to get the female athletes their rightful opportunity. Among many of those driving forces — especially in Section VI — are Chautauqua Lake coaches Pete and Emily Dorman.